“If you want to be successful in a particular field of endeavour, I think perseverance is one of the key qualities. It’s very important that you find something that you care about, that you have a deep passion for, because you’re going to have to devote a lot of your life to it.”
- George Lucas

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."
- Aristotle

"Fine Dentistry is a work of love. We didn’t launch into this project just with the idea of making money."
- Dr. Ian Boyd

"Your mouth is the ultimate accessory."
- Dr. Ian Boyd

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives."
- William A. Foster

"You will never go wrong when you select quality."
- Dr. Ian Boyd

If you think you can or cannot . . .you are probably right.

“We have the ability to change people’s lives. Their eyes and smiles are two of the most important aspects of their appearance.”
- Anonymous

Through years of helping people improve their smiles, Dr. Boyd has developed a good understanding of the importance of a great smile and how people feel when the smile is less than ideal.

Precision care and attention to detail take time."

“These days, most dentist’s chairs go up and down, don’t they? The one I was in went back and forwards. I thought, “This is unusual”. And then the dentist said to me “OK Mr. Vine – time to get out of the filing cabinet”.
- Tim Vine

“Be true to your teeth and they won’t be false to you.”
- Soupy Sales

"I am as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth."
- Anonymous

Inlays and Onlays

Online Dental Education Library

Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.

Restoring Back Teeth - Crowns, Onlays and Inlays Explained

The cusp is the pointed or rounded projection on the chewing surface of the tooth. Molars typically have four cusps as shown by the four purple asterisks in the top image. Bicuspids, also called pre-molars, typically have two cusps as shown by the two blue asterisks in the top image. When we refer to crowns, onlays, and inlays, we are referring to whether we need to restore the cusp of the tooth, and if so, whether it is all of the cusps or some of the cusps. When a tooth has been severely weakened or fractured, we will usually place a crown, which covers all of the cusps. In the photo on the right, the closest tooth requires a crown to made in the lab and the result is shown in the bottom picture.

When a tooth has one or more cusps that are weakened or fractured but other cusps that are still strong, we can elect to do an onlay. An onlay can cover one or more cusps while retaining some of the tooth above the gumline. In the example on the right, the lower left cusp for the middle tooth was determined to be too weak. It was capped, but the remaining three cusps were healthy so they were left untouched. The porcelain restoration was made in the lab and the final result is in the bottom image.

When the cusps of the tooth are all healthy and structurally sound, we can elect to restore the surrounding structure but leave the cusps intact. This is called an inlay as shown by the tooth on the far right. The amalgam restoration needed to be replaced and it was restored with a porcelain inlay that was made in the lab. The final result is shown in the bottom image.

Please see the Crowns Gallery and the Fillings Gallery to view the types of results we can achieve with crowns, inlays, and onlays.

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We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.